Powdered scent compound

ABSTRACT

A powdered scent compound and related methods of application for adhering the powdered scent compound to a desired application area. The powdered scent compound can comprise a porous carrier powder, an adhesive compound and a synthetic scent compound. The powdered scent compound is shelf-stable and convenient to apply, carry and store. Furthermore, the powdered scent compound can adhere to applied surfaces, thereby ensuring that powdered scent compound remains where it is applied, even in locations where the potential exists for the compound to drip or be blown from.

RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/362,910, filed Mar. 25, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,730,064 onAug. 4, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/292,459, filed Oct. 13, 2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,239,078 onMar. 26, 2019, which claims benefit from and priority to U.S.Application No. 62/240,911, filed Oct. 13, 2015. The above-identifiedapplications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to the field of scentdispersal in the outdoors. More specifically, the present invention isdirected to a powdered scent compound with adhesive properties forairborne dispensing onto desired surfaces for the attraction ofwildlife.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Scents are widely used in the outdoors industry and especially relatedto the hunting of large game. Typically, these scents are used for thepurpose of attracting wild game such as, for example, whitetail deer, orto mask or otherwise reduce human odor so as to make a hunter harder foran animal to detect.

Representative scent products that are readily available from outdoorretailers include liquids made from natural doe urine and glandularsecretions harvested from living deer. Suppliers of these liquid scentproducts include companies such as Tinks and Hunter Specialties. Thesescent products are typically packaged in glass or plastic bottles andcan be cumbersome and messy when carried into the field and can bedifficult to apply in certain desirable locations. Furthermore, thenatural elements utilized in these liquid scents undergo instant changesat the molecular level when harvested and/or packaged for retail sales.These changes can include the breakdown of urine into ammonia and otherbyproducts that can reduce their effectiveness in the field. Inaddition, these liquid products possess a limited shelf life and areusually discarded after the relevant season.

Another representative product uses natural doe urine but then freezedries the urine into a powdered form. While this freeze dried productcan avoid the messiness and shelf life issues associated withconventional liquid products, prior to freeze drying, the natural doeurine similarly undergo natural molecular changes instantly uponcollection that can reduce the effectiveness of the freeze dried powder.

Another downside with use of natural doe urine, either in liquid orpowdered form, is the concern regarding the potential transmission ofdiseases and other maladies. For example, various locations have begunconsidering banning the use of natural doe urine to prevent thetransmission of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the whitetail deerherd.

While there presently exist a number of scent-based products for theoutdoors and hunting industry, there remains a need for additionaleffective measures that allow for combining elements and scent compoundsfor scent dispersal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, a powdered scent compound according to embodiments of thepresent invention address the aforementioned needs by providing asynthetic, shelf-stable compound that is convenient to apply, carry andstore. Furthermore, the powdered scent compound of the present inventioncan adhere to applied surfaces, thereby ensuring that compound remainswhere it is applied, even in locations where the potential exists forthe compound to drip from or be blown from. Due to the adhesive natureof the powdered scent compound, the compound can be applied to or cansimulate locations such as, for example, deer scrapes on overheadlicking branches or on lower branches, brush or dirt while remainingadhered in the applied location. Once applied and adhered to a desiredlocation, the powdered scent compound can be rehydrated through exposureto precipitation such as rain or snow, thus allowing the compound toactively distribute scent for extended periods of time.

Representative embodiments of a powdered scent compound of the presentinvention can comprise a porous carrier or binder component, an adhesivecomponent and a synthetic scent component. The carrier or bindercomponent can comprise from about 50 to about 95% by weight of thepowdered scent compound. In one representative embodiment, the carrieror binder component comprises talc or talcum powder. The adhesivecomponent can comprise from about 5 to about 50% by weight of thepowdered scent compound. In one representative embodiment, the adhesivecomponent comprise sodium carbonate and/or hydrogenated silica. Thesynthetic scent compound can comprise from about 1 to about 5% by weightof the powdered scent compound. In one representative embodiment, thesynthetic scent compound can comprise about 50 percent or more by weightdioctyl adipate, about 10 percent to about 25 percent by weight ethyllaurate; about 5 percent to about 10 percent by weight benzyl benzoateand/or musk xylol and about 1 percent to about 5 percent ethyldecanoate, p-cresol, p-cresyl phenylacetate, and/or phenyl acetic acid.In some embodiments, the synthetic scent compound can further includeabout 1 percent or less by weight of an ingredient selected from thegroup consisting of: benzyl alcohol, benzyl phenyl acetate, coumarincrystals, cuminic aldehyde, ethyl-2-hexanol, ethylphenyl acetate,geranyl acetate, isovaleric acid, and patchouli oil. In someembodiments, the synthetic scent compound is formulated to simulategland secretions or urine from either male or female deer. In someembodiments, the powdered scent compound is shelf-stable and has ashelf-life of at least one year such that the powdered scent compound iseffective for multiple hunting seasons.

In representative embodiments of the present invention, a powdered scentcompound can be formulated for air borne dispersal onto a desiredsurface. In some embodiments, the powdered scent compound can becontained within a container including a cap for covering a containeropening. After removing the cap, the container can be squeezed resultingin a portion of the powdered scent compound exiting the containeropening in a spray of powder that is directed into a desired area, forexample, on or around trees and brush. In some embodiments, the desiredapplication area can comprise an overhead branch for example, on orsimulating a licking branch of a male deer. The powdered scent compoundremains attached and adhered to the desired area due to the presence ofan adhesive component within the powdered scent compound. The adheredpowdered scent compound functions to attract wild game and cover humanodor scents. In some embodiments, the cap can comprise a flip-style lidcapable of being rotated between the open position and a closedposition. The container can also include an attachment member operablyconnected to a receiving member on the container, the attachment memberallowing the container to be retained on a holding item.

In some representative embodiments, a powdered scent compound can bemanufactured by adding a porous carrier or binder component and anadhesive component into a mixer. The porous carrier and adhesivecomponent can then be mixed within the mixer. As the porous carrier andadhesive component are mixed, a synthetic scent compound can be sprayedinto the mixer whereby the synthetic scent compound is absorbed into theporous carrier to form a bulk powdered scent compound. The bulk powderedscent compound can then be directed through a screen assembly such thatthe bulk powdered scent is broken into a fine powder for packagingwithin a dispenser. In some embodiments, a desiccant can be added to thedispenser to absorb any excess moisture so as to prevent clumping of thefine powder.

The above summary of the various representative embodiments of theinvention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment orevery implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments arechosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciateand understand the principles and practices of the invention. Thefigures in the detailed description that follow more particularlyexemplify these embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of thefollowing detailed description of various embodiments of the inventionin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view an embodiment of a container being used tospray a powdered scent compound of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a tree illustrating representative applicationareas for a powdered scent compound of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a representative method for preparinga powdered scent compound of the present invention.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail it should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

We have found that there are profound advantages in using the presentlydisclosed powdered scent compound for the attraction of wildlife and/orthe covering of human scent. Generally, the powdered scent compound isadvantageous in that a powdered form is easy to apply, an adhesivecomponent maintains the powdered scent compound in a desired applicationarea and a synthetic scent compound is shelf-stable and remainseffective for at least one year, thereby providing for use duringmultiple hunting seasons.

The present invention is advantageous and unique because it can combinenatural and synthetic oil based scent compounds with a porous carrier,for example, talcum powder along with an adhesive compound to transformthe delivery mechanism to a very lightweight powder form that adheres toan application point. The powdered scent compound can be dispensed via aspray bottle, for example, the design illustrated in U.S. Designapplication Ser. No. 29/255,577 and as illustrated in FIG. 1, wherebythe sprayed powder can become airborne, be applied and adhered directlyto clothing or onto soil, trees or other vegetation. The powdered scentsystem generally comprises a squeezable container that holds a quantityof the powdered scent compound. By quickly squeezing and releasing thecontainer, a quantity of the powdered scent compound is dispelledthrough an opening portion in the cap into the surrounding air where itdisperses scent for the purpose of attracting wild game and reducinghuman odor. In some embodiments, the powdered scent system can furtherinclude a desiccant placed within the container, whereby the desiccantis adapted to remain within the container as the powdered scent compoundis dispensed.

With reference to FIG. 1, one aspect of the present invention isdirected to a method for using a powdered scent compound 100. Generally,the method can comprise mixing the powdered scent compound 100 so as toinclude a porous carrier powder, an adhesive compounds and a syntheticscent compound. The method can further comprise filling a container 102with an amount of the powdered scent compound 100. The method canfurther comprise applying the powdered scent compound 100 to a desiredapplication area by squeezing the container 102 to quickly eject thepowdered scent compound 100 through an opening portion 104 in thecontainer 102 such that the powdered scent compound 100 interacts withan application area 105, for example, the surrounding air, foliageand/or soil, to provide both wild game attraction and human odorcontrol. In some embodiments, the container can include an attachmentmember 106 allowing a user to carry the container by attaching it to anarticle of clothing.

A representative embodiment of a powdered scent compound of the presentinvention can comprise a formulation of a porous carrier powder, anadhesive compound and a synthetic scent compound. The porous carrier orbinder powder comprises a suitable powdered material that is preferablybiodegradable or otherwise environmentally friendly. In someembodiments, the porous carrier or binder powder can comprise talc ortalcum powder. The adhesive component is also preferably formed of abiodegradable or environmentally friendly material. In some embodiments,the adhesive component can comprise sodium carbonate and/or hydrogenatedsilica. The synthetic scent compound is also preferably formed of abiodegradable or environmentally friendly material. In some embodiments,synthetic scent compound can comprise about 50 percent or more by weightdioctyl adipate, about 10 percent to about 25 percent by weight ethyllaurate; about 5 percent to about 10 percent by weight benzyl benzoateand/or musk xylol and about 1 percent to about 5 percent ethyldecanoate, p-cresol, p-cresyl phenyl acetate, and/or phenyl acetic acid.In some embodiments, the synthetic scent compound can further includeabout 1 percent or less by weight of an ingredient selected from thegroup consisting of: benzyl alcohol, benzyl phenyl acetate, coumarincrystals, cuminic aldehyde, ethyl-2-hexanol, ethylphenyl acetate,geranyl acetate, isovaleric acid, and patchouli oil. In someembodiments, the powdered scent compound is shelf stable and has ashelf-life of at least one year such that the powdered scent compound iseffective for multiple hunting seasons. Generally, embodiments of thepowdered scent compound can be formulated as contained in Table 1 below:

TABLE 1 Representative Formulation of Powdered Scent Compound ComponentWeight Percent Porous Carrier or Binder Powder 50-95 Adhesive Compound 5-50 Synthetic Scent Compound 1-5

As illustrated in FIG. 2, one use of the powdered scent compound 100 ofthe present invention can be directed to application onto or thesimulation of deer scrapes either prior to or during the rut. Forinstance, powdered scent compound 100 can sprayed onto an overhead“licking” branch 110 that can be located anywhere from 3 to 6 feet abovethe ground. The adhesive compound serves to adhere the powdered scentcompound 100 on the licking branch 110 for extended period times asopposed to liquid running, dripping or being blown off of the lickingbranch 110. When the powdered scent compound 100 is applied to thelicking branch, the synthetic scent compound is preferably formulated tosimulate glandular secretions from the pre-orbital gland of a male deer.Alternatively, powdered scent compound 100 can be applied and adhereddirectly onto or to simulate deer scrapes on a lower portion 112 or baseof a tree 114 or directly onto a patch of ground 116. When applied tothe lower portion 112 or ground 116, the synthetic scent compound can beformulated to simulate either glandular secretions or urine, from eithermale or female deer. When adhered to the licking branch 110, the lowerportion 112 and/or ground 116, exposure of the powdered scent compound100 to precipitation including, for example, snow or rain can rehydratethe synthetic scent compound such that the desired scent is releasedagain, thereby extending the life of the applied powdered scent compound100.

Referring to FIG. 3, a representative process for manufacturing thepowdered scent compound 100 can comprise a first mixing step 128 whereina porous carrier/binder component 130 and an adhesive component 132 areeach added into a conventional mixer. With the porous carrier 130 andadhesive component 132 mixed together, a synthetic scent compound 134can be sprayed into the mixer in a spraying step 136. As the syntheticscent compound 134 is sprayed, the mixer mixes the synthetic scentcompound 134 into the porous carrier 130 and adhesive component 132 in asecond mixing step 138 so as to form a bulk powdered scent compound 140in which the synthetic scent compound 134 has been absorbed into theporous carrier 130. In a screening step 142, the bulk powdered scentcompound 140 is forced through a screen so as break any large chunks oragglomerations of bulk powdered scent compound 140 into a fine powder143 of powdered scent compound 100. In a packaging step 144, thecontainer 102 can be filled with the fine powder 143, whereby thepowdered scent compound 100 is prepared for dispensing. In someembodiments, a desiccant 146 can be added as part of packaging step 144to absorb any excess moisture and to prevent clumping of the fine powder143 within the container 102. Desiccant 146 can comprise materials suchas, for example, silica gel or even grains of rice, that are eitherlarge enough or otherwise packaged in porous packets, such that thedesiccant 146 is not expelled when applying the powdered scent compound100 by squeezing the container 102.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment,method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within thescope and spirit of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A scent dispersal system for dispensing anairborne powder, comprising: a squeezable container; and a powderedscent compound retained within the squeezable container, the powderedscent compound comprising: a powder having a synthetic scent compoundabsorbed therein; and an adhesive compound, wherein the synthetic scentcompound comprises from about 1 to about 5 percent by weight of thepowdered scent compound, wherein: about 50 percent or more by weight ofthe synthetic scent compound comprises dioctyl adipate; about 10 percentto about 25 percent by weight of the synthetic scent compound comprisesethyl laurate; about 5 percent to about 10 percent by weight of thesynthetic scent compound comprises one or both of benzyl benzoate andmusk xylol; and about 1 percent to about 5 percent by weight of thesynthetic scent compound comprises one or more of ethyl decanoate,p-cresol, p-cresyl phenylacetate, and phenyl acetic acid, and whereinsqueezing of the squeezable container ejects the powdered scent compoundfrom an opening portion of the squeezable container.
 2. The scentdispersal system of claim 1, wherein the powder comprises from about 50to about 95 percent by weight of the powdered scent compound.
 3. Thescent dispersal system of claim 2, wherein the powder comprises talcumpowder.
 4. The powdered scent compound of claim 1, wherein the adhesivecompound comprises from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight of thepowdered scent compound.
 5. The powdered scent compound of claim 1,wherein the adhesive compound is selected from sodium carbonate,hydrogenated silica and combinations thereof.
 6. The powdered scentcompound of claim 1, further comprising a desiccant contained within thesqueezable container, wherein the desiccant is adapted to remain withinthe squeezable container during squeezing of the squeezable container.7. The powdered scent compound of claim 1, wherein the powdered scentcompound further comprises about 1 percent or less of an ingredientselected from a group comprising benzyl alcohol, benzyl phenyl acetate,coumarin crystals, cuminic aldehyde, ethyl-2-hexanol, ethylphenylacetate, geranyl acetate, isovaleric acid, patchouli oil andcombinations thereof.
 8. A method of dispersing scent, the methodcomprising: in a squeezable container with a powdered scent compound,the powdered scent comprising: a powder having a synthetic scentcompound absorbed therein, and an adhesive compound, wherein thesynthetic scent compound comprises from about 1 to about 5 percent byweight of the powdered scent compound, and wherein: about 50 percent ormore by weight of the synthetic scent compound comprises dioctyladipate; about 10 percent to about 25 percent by weight of the syntheticscent compound comprises ethyl laurate; about 5 percent to about 10percent by weight of the synthetic scent compound comprises one or bothof benzyl benzoate and musk xylol, and about 1 percent to about 5percent by weight of the synthetic scent compound, one or more of ethyldecanoate, p-cresol, p-cresyl phenylacetate, and phenyl acetic acid; andsqueezing the squeezable container to eject an airborne amount of thepowdered scent compound for application to a desired area.
 9. The methodof claim 8, wherein the step of filling the squeezable container furthercomprises: placing a desiccant material within the squeezable container,the desiccant material adapted to remain within the squeezable containeras the powdered scent compound is ejected during squeezing of thesqueezable container.
 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:adhering the powdered scent compound to the desired area with theadhesive compound.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the desired areacomprises an above ground licking branch.
 12. The method of claim 10,further comprising: rehydrating the synthetic scent compound withprecipitation as the powdered scent compound is adhered to the desiredarea.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the powder comprises talcumpowder.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the adhesive compoundcomprises from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight of the powderedscent compound.
 15. The method of claim 8, wherein the adhesive compoundis selected from sodium carbonate, hydrogenated silica and combinationsthereof.
 16. The method of claim 8, wherein the powdered scent compoundfurther comprises a desiccant contained within the squeezable container,wherein the desiccant is adapted to remain within the squeezablecontainer during squeezing of the squeezable container.
 17. The methodof claim 8, wherein the powdered scent compound further comprises about1 percent or less of an ingredient selected from a group comprisingbenzyl alcohol, benzyl phenyl acetate, coumarin crystals, cuminicaldehyde, ethyl-2-hexanol, ethylphenyl acetate, geranyl acetate,isovaleric acid, patchouli oil and combinations thereof.